BDSM is various generally erotic tactics or roleplaying involving bondage, willpower, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, along with other connected interpersonal dynamics. Presented the wide selection of methods, a few of which may be engaged in by individuals who don't contemplate themselves to become practising BDSM, inclusion in the BDSM community or subculture normally is alleged to depend upon self-identification and shared knowledge.

The initialism BDSM is very first recorded inside a Usenet publish from 1991, and is interpreted as a mix of the abbreviations B/D (Bondage and Self-control), D/s (Dominance and submission), and S/M (Sadism and Masochism). BDSM is now used to be a capture-all phrase covering a variety of functions, kinds of interpersonal relationships, and distinctive subcultures. BDSM communities normally welcome anybody with a non-normative streak who identifies While using the Neighborhood; this may involve cross-dressers, human body modification enthusiasts, animal roleplayers, rubber fetishists, and Many others.

Pursuits and relationships in BDSM in many cases are characterized via the individuals' taking over roles which might be complementary and entail inequality of power; Consequently, the idea of knowledgeable consent of each the companions is essential. The phrases submissive and dominant are often utilised to distinguish these roles: the dominant associate ("dom") takes psychological Management over the submissive ("sub"). The phrases major and bottom will also be used; the very best is definitely the instigator of an action when the bottom may be the receiver with the action. The two sets of phrases are subtly distinctive: for instance, another person may decide to act as base to a different person, by way of example, by remaining whipped, purely recreationally, without any implication of currently being psychologically dominated, and submissives may very well be ordered to massage their dominant companions. Although the base carries out the motion and the best gets it, they may have not necessarily switched roles.

The abbreviations sub and dom are regularly utilised in place of submissive and dominant. Sometimes the female-particular terms mistress, domme, and dominatrix are employed to describe a dominant lady, as an alternative to the from time to time gender-neutral term dom. Individuals who change in between best/dominant and bottom/submissive roles—no matter if from marriage to relationship or within a given relationship—are known as switches. The precise definition of roles and self-identification is a common subject of discussion among the BDSM members.